Automatic attaching or detaching hook.



No. 720,822; PATENTBD FEB. 17, 1903.

w. E. LAPPBRTY. AUToMATIo ATTAGHING. 0R DETACHING HOOK.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 2, 1901.

IO IODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEC-E.

WILLIAM E. LAFFERTY, OF OLNEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC ATTACHING OR DETACHING HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,822, dated February 17, 1903.

Application filed February 2, 1901. Serial 1115.451665. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM E. LAFEERTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olney, county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Attaching or Detaching Hooks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a hook in connection with a device to which an article is attachedwhereb'y the device may be readily attached or detached through the medium of this hook from a suspended link.

Essentially the invention consists in a hook having a downwardly-inclined jaw and a pivoted upwardly-inclined jaw-closing member, the jaw-closing member extending slightly beyond the downwardly-inclined jaw and is weighted or spring-acted on its opposite end to normally hold the jaw-closing member against the down wardly-inclined jaw member.

I will describe my improvement in connection with a pulley-block and a link in connection with a scale, although I do not intend to limit myself to this embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View showing my device in connection with a beam-scale. Fig. 2 is a front View of the device. Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

A is the pulley-block, having the pulley a and the hook B for attachment to the article. The lifting-rope O passes around the pulley a and around the guide-pulley a in the ordinary manner.

D is a bifurcated shank projecting upwardly from the block A.

d is the downwardly-inclined jaw of my improved hook, which projects from this shank.

Plvoted to the shank D, between its bifurcations, at cl2 is the jaw-closing member CZ. This jaw-closing member has at its outer end the weight d3. Its other end is upturned, as shown. This member d under the action of the weight cl3 contacts with and extends beyond the end of the jaw member d.

E is a beam-scale suspended by the hook e and having the weight e.

e2 is a link or sustaining device suspended Afrom a hook e3, secured to the scale-beam.

When the pulley-block A, lifted by the rope C, reaches the point where the link c2 strikes the top of the inclined jaw d and the block is moved farther, the link e2 is carried along the top'of the jaw d until it strikes the jaw-closing memb'er cl', which turns on its pivot, carrying the link within the jaw d. When the block is allowed to descend slightly, the link will be caught by the jaw d and the block will be suspended by the link. The weight d3 causes the member d2 to return to its contact with the jaw d. To detach the hook, the pulley-block is lifted, causing the link c2 to open the member d2 and pass beyond the hook, when the weight will return the member cl2 into contact with the jaw d. When the block is then lowered, the link e2 will strike the under surface of member cl2 and pass along itfbeyond the jaw member el. The advantage of this character of hook is evident in allowing the device to Which it is attached to be readily connected to and disconnected from a link for any purpose of suspension.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

l. A pulley-block provided with an upwardly-extending bifurcated shank member, a jaw member projecting downwardly and outwardly from said shank member, and a closing member pivoted between its ends to said shank between its bifurcations, one end of said closing member having an upturned end extending beyond the end of the jaw member, the opposite end of said closing member being substantially heavier than the firstnamed end, whereby the first-named end is normally held in contact with the end of the jaw member.

2. A pulley-block provided with an upwardly-extending bifurcated shank member, a jaw member projecting downwardly and outwardly from said shank member, and a closing member pivoted between its ends to said shank between its bifurcations, one end of said closing member extending beyond the end of the jaw member, the opposite end of said closing member being substantially heavier than the first-named end, whereby the rst-named end is normally held in contact with the end of the jaw member.

3. A pulley-block provided with an upwardly-extending bifurcated shank member, a jaw member projecting,r downwardly and outwardly from said shank member, and a closing member pivoted between its ends to said shank between its bifurcations, one end of said closing member extending` beyond the end of the jaw member, the opposite end of said closing member being substantially heavier than the rst-named end, whereby the first-named end is normally held in Contact vwith the end of the jaw member, in combination with a sustaining device capable of swinging` in a direction parallel to the direction of extension of the jaw and closing members, whereby the hook may engage with said sustaining device by moving said pulley-block vertically upward.

4L. A pulley block provided with an upwardly-extending bifurcated shank member, a jaw member projecting downwardly and outwardly from said shank member, and a closing member pivoted between its ends to said shank between its bifurcations, one end of said closing` member extending beyond the end of the jaw member, the opposite end of said closing member being substantially heavier than the rst-named end, whereby the first-named end is normally held in contact with the end of the jaw member, in combiu nation with a scale-beam, a sustaining device secured thereto and capable of swinging in a direction parallel to the direction of the extension ot the jaw and closing members.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on this 26th day of January, 1901.

VILLIAM E. LAFFER'FY.

Witnesses:

M. M. HAMILTON, M. F. ELLIS. 

